


Growing Pains

by Wolvesandwerewolves



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:08:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25458295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolvesandwerewolves/pseuds/Wolvesandwerewolves
Summary: Aunt Iris's birthday is about two weeks after Artemis 'dies.'
Relationships: Wally West/Artemis Crock
Kudos: 29





	Growing Pains

**Author's Note:**

> I just really want some Wally West and Bart Allen bonding okay

Aunt Iris's birthday is about two weeks after Artemis 'dies.'

Wally hasn't exactly been avoiding everyone, but he hasn't been around since her funeral, either. He doesn't want to play the widower, ( _even if_ , he thinks, _he and Artemis weren't-- **aren't** \--married_.) The way his parents cried when he told them about her, how Paula had shut down when she found out, how tight Barry hugged him at her funeral--it was all too much. 

He's not sure how he's supposed to act. He keeps turning to tell Artemis something, to joke with her, only she's not there. He turns to her in his sleep, and wakes when he's met with cold, empty space in a bed too big. Sometimes, he'll find himself about to call Artemis and he has to hang up before it gets to her voicemail. 

Maybe that's normal. According to the internet, all the articles he's read for _research_ , not because it sometimes feels too real with the way people look at him in her absensce, that stuff happens when you're working through the death of a loved one. 

But she's _not dead_. And he hates acting as if he's in mourning. He's already sick with worry about the misson--he doesn't want to be sick with all-too-real grief, too. 

It's easier to be alone than with friends or family. He doesn't want to go see anyone. 

But it's Aunt Iris's birthday and she has _'big news'_ (not quite news anymore, though, thanks to Bart) and she and Uncle Barry have _always_ been there for him. This is something Wally has to do. 

It would just be easier with Artemis. 

The lights are on in the window when he walks up from the sidewalk. Inside, he can see colorful streamers, balloons--Uncle Barry always goes all out for a party. There's a small pile of presents on the coffee table in the living room, wrapped in pearly white paper with metallic rainbow _Happy Birthday_ 's written on them in a random pattern. Aunt Iris is on the couch, talking with his parents, while Barry is at the edge of the kitchen and living room, barely visible from the window. Bart is standing next to him, two party hats on his head, arranged like pointy ears. 

Wally sighs. He takes a deep breath, plasters a smile on his face and tries not to think about how strained it feels. He forces himself to walk up to the door and knock. It opens in a blur, before he's even done knocking, and one second later he's getting the wind knocked out of him. He stumbles back, gasping as small arms wrap around his waist and Bart's head digs into his chest. 

"Okay, kid," he wheezes, gently pushing him away, trying to untangle his arms. "You gotta let go." He frowns, huffing as Bart squeezes tighter. "Did you get taller?" 

Bart ignores him, doesn’t let go or even quip back. He looks up from where he’s still hugging Wally, sharp chin digging into his chest. "Hi, Wally! Grandpa and Grandma, Wally's here!" 

Wally sighs, tries to wiggle out of Bart's too-tight grip. "Sorry I'm late," he says sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. He raises the bag in his hand, shrugging. "Forgot this, had to turn around."

"Don't worry about it," Uncle Barry says, pulling him into a hug as soon as Bart finally steps away. It's tighter than usual, and he knows exactly why. "How are you doing?" 

"I'm fine," Wally says, dismissively. He looks away from his uncle's worried eyes, the small frown, instead focuses on his aunt's soft features, her gentle eyes. "Happy birthday, Aunt Iris." 

"Hi, Wally. Thanks for coming." Aunt Iris smiles kindly at him, hovering just behind her husband, standing close to his parents. It seems everyone has crowded close to the door, even the Garricks, and Iris's parents. Suddenly, he feels claustrophobic when he never has before, when he has no reason to. This is his _family_. Artemis isn't even dead. He should be fine. 

"What are we all standing here for? This is a party! Let's cut the cake," he says, smiling and nodding towards the kitchen. 

"Uh, yeah, yeah, yeah!" Bart says, and it sounds a little nervous, too fast even for him. Was it like that earlier? "That sounds crash--who doesn't like cake?" 

His mom glances at Bart, rolls her eyes at him somewhat fondly and he wonders when they met. Her smile looks as wrong as his feels, but she pushes her way toward him and kisses his cheek, her arms wrapping around him. His dad follows, stepping in just behind mom, holding them both tight. Just like that, the tension in the room starts to wear, and his family makes their way back to the couch.

"Hey, honey," Mom says quietly, letting him go. "Good to see you." 

"It's good to see you, too."

Aunt Iris clears her throat, gives Uncle Barry a look and gently nudges Bart. "Well, let's see if my husband's cooking stands up to the test of the future, huh?" 

"Crash!" Bart says, darting to the kitchen in a rush. "I've never had cake before--uh, not from the past, that is. Future cake is called space cake!" He laughs, and Wally can't tell if it's genuine or not. Each word sounds made up on the spot. "Is that _crash_ or what?" 

"Do you know what _crash_ means?" Mom whispers, and he's glad it isn't a question about Artemis, or how he's doing or another I'm sorry. Maybe the kid, with all his erratic energy and weird future sayings, will be a good distraction tonight. Even if he is annoying, it's better than . . . whatever this is. 

Wally smiles, shakes his head. "I have no idea."

**Author's Note:**

> I posted on my tumblr recently that I really wanted an AU where the Justice Lords wasn’t an alternate universe but the future that Bart comes from 
> 
> And then I wrote this crap instead


End file.
